The man, a 52-year-old and from Wool, died after his red Kawasaki Z550 bike was in collision with a Skoda Citigo car at the Water Lane junction outside the Red Lion pub at Winfrith Newburgh about 3pm yesterday.

The motorcyclist, who had been travelling towards Dorchester, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dorset Police initially told the Echo that the man was aged in his 30s but it was later confirmed that he was actually 52.

The car, containing two people on holiday, had been travelling in the opposite direction and was due to turn right towards Winfrith village and Lulworth. The occupants suffered minor injuries. Police are appealing for witnesses.

The A352 was closed for several hours between the Warmwell Cross and Burton Cross roundabouts while emergency services dealt with the incident and the vehicles were recovered. A road and vehicle examination was carried out by police experts.

Police, ambulance crews including the air ambulance and firefighters were alerted to the incident.

It came on a day when there were two other serious accidents on Dorset’s roads – a car crashed on the A30 at Babylon Hill near Sherborne and a motorcyclist was injured in a crash on the Dorset Way in Poole.

Speaking at the scene of the A352 crash at Winfrith yesterday, Inspector Colin Bell from Dorset Police’s traffic unit said: “We believe the car was waiting to turn right at the Water Lane junction by the Red Lion and collided head on with the motorcyclist, who was overtaking a small blue car which was waiting to turn left.

“The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the next of kin have been informed.

“We are now appealing for witnesses to the crash, and anyone who may have seen either of the two vehicles travelling prior to the collision.

“We are especially keen to talk to the driver of the small blue car.”

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service sent one crew from Bere Regis but they were released when it was discovered that no-one was trapped.

The ambulance service sent four vehicles including the air ambulance, a first response car and two ambulances.

A man who works in the area said he understood people tried to resuscitate the biker at the side of the road but that he sadly died.

He said he saw the air ambulance at the scene.

Lizzie Harris, who works at the Countryman Inn at East Knighton, said: “I didn’t see anything but I know that the road has been closed from the roundabout by the police headquarters all the way up to the end of the dual carriageway.”

The First bus company diverted its X53 service onto the A35 so it didn’t serve stops between Preston and Wool.

Witnesses and anyone with information including the manner of driving of the two vehicles prior to the incident are asked to call Dorset Police on 101 quoting incident number 09:287.